A CITY councillor phoned a friend of a serious assault victim to try to persuade him to settle the case out of court, a standards panel will hear.

Amjid Wazir is accused of failing to declare an interest before voting to reinstate the taxi licence of a man who was convicted less than six months earlier of an assault which broke another driver's draw.

He faces the standards committee on Monday, when members will decide if he breached the authority's code of conduct.

The Labour councillor denies claims he is a close family friend of the convicted driver, Azan Ahmed, but admits contacting an associate of victim Mohammed Bashir in an attempt to broker an out-of-court resolution before the conviction.

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Mr Bashir claims Mr Wazir is good friends with Azan Ahmed's father Zulfacar Ahmed. The Hanley Park and Shelton councillor denies the claim.

But asked if he made the call before the court case, he said in a report to Monday's meeting: "Yes. I phoned Karmit Ali as a respected elder member of the community to see if he could sort out the issues between Mr Bashir and Mr Ahmed to try and calm things down."

The allegations relate to a licensing hearing in April 2011, when Azan Ahmed won back his taxi licence at the third attempt.

They were sentenced to a 12-month supervision order by Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, ordered to carry out unpaid work and pay £2,000 compensation. Mr Wazir voted against a motion to refuse Azan Ahmed his licence at the second hearing.

The panel unanimously voted to reinstate the licence at the third hearing, despite the chairman's opposition, after legal advice.

Majid Khan, Labour councillor for Etruria and Hanley, was cleared this month of failing to declare a prejudicial interest before voting on the same decision.

Councillor Joy Garner, the panel's chairman, said: "Councillor Wazir said very little during the panel but I felt that he knew more about the applicant than he said.

"At the election count, Councillor Wazir, Mr Ahmed's father and other family members were seen by the clerk to the panel and other officers together for a long time and were clearly more than passing acquaintances."

Glyn Cross, the council's principal licensing officer, said: "I was surprised by the decision of the panel as I did not feel that Azan had spent sufficient time away from the rank.

"There have been others in similar situations where the panel have said they are not a fit and proper person. Under the old guidelines, Azan would have had to have been conviction-free for three to five years.

"Although these guidelines no longer apply, I did feel that six months was far too soon."

Clare Clarke, deputy monitoring officer, investigated the case and will recommend that Mr Wazir did not have an interest to declare – in part because friendship boundaries are blurred by large turnouts at gatherings in the Asian community.

She said: "I'm afraid whatever my findings, Mr Bashir will not find the justice he seeks."

Mr Bashir said: "For me this will not stop because I want to see justice done. I believe there has been an abuse of power."

Last year Mr Wazir was suspended without pay for a month after attempting to use his position to get a friend's daughter into an over-subscribed school.

Looks like the office cleaner as been Moonlighting again, Draw.....lol. The one where keeps his pens and spare change I hear.
Never mind, Local World will soon be sending you weekly and you can iron all the mistakes out can't you.

This, to some extent, this issue is the result of communities being too inward-looking; believing that 'tribal ties' -and loyalties should solve problems and not the democratic process -which to some of those involved here, is clearly foreign to them.

Warren-Lloyd I found the standard of journalism poor also. Broke another drivers draw - what in his glove box lol.
Come on sentinel, its all right for us to make the odd faux pas but you suppose to be a professional outfit. Come on get a grip, who proof reads this stuff.
Anyway, with regards to this story - the whole things stinks, cover ups and closed ranks spring to mind.

Is there a Meir influence somewhere as I thought 'dr' was the mumbling Meir phonetics for 'j' elsewhere?
I'm told they like bread and dram up there in Meir which explains the speech, spelling and grammar.

Mr Wazir, suspended for using his position as councillor for gain. I think we might have answered the question. If he was, or still is, why was he still on the Standards Committee, are not these people supposed to be whiter than white, and not wear a different hat as and when it suits.Then does not declare an interest.How does that work? Mrs Garner , the chairman. states Legal advice was taken, yet was voted unanimously against it despite her opposition. I would like to know what that legal advice was, there must have been something that we are not privy to. more than meets the eye for it get voted in. Could be trying to make the most out of the situation again, taking the higher ground in POINTS SCORING .This labour council is corrupt from top to bottom. From Mr Pervez stating in this paper, using taxpayers money to find out why the Labour Party lost to the City Independents in the by- election, is that not fraudulent use of taxpayers money, for political and personal gain.To the labours councillors who, sign petitions, and dare not vote for their convictions and conscious against PERVEZ THE PERVERSE for fear of reprisals, any post they are holding or seat on committees, they will be gone, or you won't get the opportunity . Now that is real abuse of POSITION AND POWER. But he won't worried about the STANDARDS COMMITTEE.